Month: July 2015

Yesterday was SO FUN! I went to Instagram Summer Camp hosted by The Bloguettes at The Saguaro. We learned everything from branding to editing to landscapes. I had a fabulous group- the #shadowhawks- and we even won best group! I think I’ll even stay connected to some of the girls! The day was encouraging, affirming, inspiring, and most of all FUN!

But it did NOT start out that way. After fixing a wardrobe malfunction and being offended that safety pins are $7 at CVS, I made my way to The Saguaro in Old Town. I had signed for camp months ago but all of my expectation & excitement died the second I walked through the lobby doors. The place was FULL of the prettiest, most fashionable, hat wearing girls I had ever seen. I swear- everyone had a hat and everyone was pulling it off. I bolted for the bathroom and promptly burst into tears.

WHAT AM I DOING HERE? I thought I looked cute but clearly I look like a hobo compared to these girls with Rapunzel hair. Why did I come? Everyone is going to hate me. Definetly never going to be cool enough. Should I just leave?

This wave of terror & rejection just knocked me right over. I texted some homies. They were quick to respond with the reassurance I needed:

“Remember! You like this! It’s going to be great!”

“Um you are pretty? Let’s identify the lie you’re believing.”

Ooof. Deep breath. I dabbed my mascara off my cheeks, put on a smile, and walked into the main room. I sat down next to a girl with perfectly pastel hair and she was so nice! She has a great online boutique based out of LA. Once I started talking, I started to feel better. I wasn’t even nervous when they had a “Meet Your Neighbor” time. Everyone there was friendly! The day got rolling, and I was loving it! We were laughing, snapping photos, and sharing tips. These were my PEOPLE! They spoke my language. And best of all, they didn’t even care if I was on my phone the whole time. 😉

Our last stop of our full day was “Lifestyle”- learning to spot gram-able moments and being comfortable in front of the camera. I wanted someone to take my picture but I kept saying I needed “direction.” What I really meant was that I wanted permission to be silly or to strike a pose. I wanted permission to be me. But I actually already had that already. I can give that to myself. Always.

Next time I want to skip the bathroom part and go right to the “oh I actually love people and make friends easily” part. This was a huge #LiveBrave moment for me. I recently got this crazy prophetic word about how I am going to move into a season where fear falls off & I live loved. Instagram Summer Camp felt like a kick off to that. I’m ready.

All to say- you can live brave too. You’re also in on the biggest secret: Even the loudest girl might be nervous to make friends. They even asked during the keynote, “How many times have you looked at someone for 5 seconds and already made up a whole story about them?” Guilty as charged. We’re all in this together- even the girls in hats. (PS They’re actually really nice.)

Here are some fun snaps from the day:

I would highly HIGHLY recommend The Bloguettes webinars & workshops if you have a small business/brand or are involved in any sort of social media. They were super informative, researched, organized, and sprinkled everything with fun & whimsy!

I have had an infected tooth for over 4 years. It had abcessed so much that other dental hygienists had to come & take a peek. “I have never seen anything like this before!” is not something you want to hear your dentist say. My entire sinus cavity had filled with infection and I was starting to lose bone.

Today was the big day to tackle the issue. On the docket: a root canal, a crown, & a filling. When the dentist got in there, he found that the one tooth crumbled and couldn’t handle a filling. He had to do a second crown and (extremely generously) did not charge me for it. In case you are like part of the royal family and don’t pay bills, those are E X P E N S I V E!

In that dentist chair, around hour 3, I heard God whisper, “I’m really proud of you.” This dental work has haunted me for years! They say oral health is the best indicator of overall health and incredibly important for heart health. My word for 2015 is “hollistic”- learning health and balance in every way. This is one step closer to me valuing myself, treating my body well, and working towards wholeness.

I knew it was God’s favor that I wasn’t charged for that second crown. It was a little nod from the Father that I was on the right track.

I know what you’re thinking, millennial Christian. “If it was truly God, He would have/should have given you the whole thing for free. Or healed your tooth!” Maybe. But the beautiful thing is that God has given me a great job that allowed me to save up money, learn budgeting skills, and left space for me to accomplish something. He provided in 2 ways- #doublemiracle.

I still think that Jesus would be proud of me and love me even if all of my teeth rotted out of my face and I exclusively ate Mac & cheese for the rest of my life. He’s a great Dad. And that’s not so different than my current diet any way. 😂 But in the same way that a parent beams when their kid takes her first step or tries something new, God smiled at me today.

I’m sore but happy. You’re worth taking care of. Take a step into the direction of self care, and He will meet you there.

*For the sake of my own pride & ego, my teeth are crazy town because problem teeth are hereditary in my family and because antibiotics from child hood caused my teeth to be prone to decay. I promise this isn’t a “Lamar” type of thing.

*I also don’t think God gave me an infected tooth to teach me a lesson. I think He used some of my negligence to teach me something. Oh grace. 🙂

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